Heartache
by Moosashi
Summary: Zatch sacrifices himself to protect Tia. But when she is unable to cope with his death, will Megumi be able to help before it is too late? Implied ZatchxTia.


A.N. It's been a rather long time since I wrote my first Zatch Bell fic, and I must say: there isn't much Zatch/Tia out there still. I'm a bit surprised at that, but oh well. I am currently working on another fic, but for now this will have to do.

It was early dawn. Everything was basked in a gloomy grey, daylight not yet piercing the horizon. It was chilly, too, when the wind swept by. It sent goosebumps throughout her skin every time the wind picked up.

But she didn't care.

She didn't care about anything anymore.

She stood there, on the edge of the cliff, looking down solemnly at the violent waters far below. Her red hair covered her saddened, tear-stained face. She clutched her hand over her heart. This pain—this heartache—was too much for her. She couldn't take it anymore. And she wouldn't have to. All she had to do was...

"Stop!"

The sudden voice of her human friend barely budged her. She didn't want to face her, she didn't want to talk to her; she just wanted this pain to end.

"Don't come any closer!" The red-haired Mamodo shouted while tightening her fists. Her voice carried anger, but also sadness. The human obeyed and stopped abruptly.

"Tia..." The teen murmured the Mamodo's name.

"You shouldn't be here, Megumi!" The Mamodo said, shouting once more with a frail voice, "Just...just leave me alone!"

Megumi was taken aback. Her worried expression grew worse. She started to move closer to the red-head Mamodo.

"Why Tia? Why are you doing this?" She asked, moving closer and closer as she did. The Mamodo girl turned around suddenly. Megumi froze as her eyes met with Tia's. Megumi could almost feel Tia's pain just by staring into her hurtful, teary eyes. The hand that Tia held over her heart tightened as she let out a sob. Her head drooped, her red hair falling over her face. Megumi could no longer see the Mamodo's painful eyes.

"Why...?" She whispered, repeating Megumi's question rhetorically. "You couldn't understand!" She exclaimed.

But she was wrong; Megumi knew what was wrong, and she was afraid. She was afraid it was too much for the young Mamodo to bear. She gulped, unsure if her course of action was going to be the right one. But she had to try. It was all she could do.

"Do you really think Zatch would want this?" Megumi asked with a strong voice. It must have gotten to the Mamodo girl, as she suddenly looked up, her eyes wide with shock.

Tia's mind went astray, suddenly going back to that horrid moment. She could see him again. She could feel his body against her own as he embraced her. She could smell the scent of his hair as his head pressed against her own...

...She could hear the agonizing scream that he gave out as the brutal spell tore into his back.

She watched—their faces inches apart—as his painful face began to relax and as he began to speak his final words.

"I'm glad...that I was able to protect Tia..." His body fell limp with these shaky words, as did his protective embrace of Tia.

She snapped back into reality as another pain surged through her heart. She fell to her knees, crying uncontrollably.

"Do you think Zatch would want you to throw away your life—the life that he gave his to protect?!"

Tia slammed her hands over her ears, trying to keep Megumi's harsh voice out. She began to shake her head violently as she sobbed.

"Shut up..." She murmured, "Shut up!" She was now screaming at the top of her lungs. "Just shut up! It doesn't matter anymore! He's gone, and it's all _my fault_!" She let her hands drop, but placed one over her heart again. She sobbed heavily as tears flowed from her eyes.

"It's not your—"

"I loved him, Megumi! I was in love with Zatch!"

Tia's sudden confession startled the teen. She knew that Zatch was cause, but she had no idea that Tia was in _love_ with him.

"I had closed my heart after I was betrayed by Maruss. I thought my life was over..." Tia paused and lifted her head, her eyes once again meeting with Megumi's. "But then I met you, Kiyo, and..." She closed her eyes tightly, "...Zatch." Tears escaped the corners of her eyes.

"I didn't want to fall in love again." She confessed as she opened her teary eyes. "But he was just so kind..." She could feel her heart beginning to ache more as she thought about the boy Mamodo. "...so caring, and so full of life. It didn't take long for me to fall for him. I didn't want to, but I..." She sobbed again, and then suddenly stood up.

"...I can't live without him." Tia's words were nearly inaudible, but Megumi heard them. The teen could feel herself begin to panic.

Megumi started running towards her, crying out as she ran, "Tia, please don't!"

The red-haired Mamodo looked at her human friend who was running desperately towards her. She sobbed once more, and then began to back up.

"I'm sorry, Megumi..." She said softly. She took another step back...

...And fell over the cliff side.

"Tia~!"

She didn't hear the bloodcurdling scream of her friend. She didn't hear anything. A small smile formed onto her lips as she closed her eyes peacefully, only able to think of one thing—one person—which was the blonde-haired boy Mamodo that she loved...

Zatch.

A.N. Yes yes, tragic, I know. I've always wanted to write a tragedy. Not entirely sure why, but I just did. Don't judge me. =D


End file.
